Araceae FAMILY

Arisaema dracontium

Edibility

1/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The plant contains calcium oxylate crystals. These cause an extremely unpleasant sensation similar to needles being stuck into the mouth and tongue if they are eaten but they are easily neutralized by thoroughly drying or cooking the plant or by steeping it in water.

Botanical Description

Arisaema dracontium is a herbaceous perennial plant growing 15 - 90cm tall from a tuber that is usually renewed seasonally. The tuber also produces some tubercles around its base - these become separated from the old tuber at the end of the season, growing on in subsequent years to form new plants[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. , 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. The plant was used as a food and medicinally by the native N. Americans, though it is little if at all used at present.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeEastern N. America - Ontario to Quebec south to Oklahoma, Louisiana and Florida; also in eastern Mexico

HabitatRich moist woods[ 222 Title A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Publication Author Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. Publisher Houghton Mifflin Co. Year 1990 ISBN 0395467225 Description A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties. ]. Found mainly in wet woods and along the sides of streams, but sometimes also in dry soils[ 235 Title An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Publication Author Britton. N. L. Brown. A. Publisher Dover Publications. New York. Year 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5 Description Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book. ].